Gestational diabetes mellitus and COVID-19: The epidemic during the pandemic

Table 1 Variations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus

	Type 2 diabetes mellitus	Gestational diabetes mellitus
Occurrence	Generally, develops after age 40, but can occur at any age	Develops during pregnancy, typically after the 20th wk of gestation
Prevalence	Affects approximately 90% of people with diabetes	Affects approximately 2%-10% of pregnancies
Risk factors	Family history, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, and ethnicity	Family history, previous history of gestational diabetes, obesity, older maternal age, and certain ethnicities
Symptoms	Fatigue, increased thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, slow healing wounds	Often asymptomatic, but may cause increased thirst, frequent urination, and increased hunger
Diagnosis	Blood tests measuring fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels	Oral glucose tolerance test usually performed between 24-28 wk of gestation
Treatment	Lifestyle changes, medication, and/or insulin therapy	Lifestyle changes, close monitoring of blood glucose levels, and medication/insulin therapy if necessary
Potential complications	Cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disease, and foot ulcers	Preeclampsia, premature delivery, macrosomia, and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life

The table summarizes key differences between type 2 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus, including occurrence, prevalence, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and potential complications.